The summer 'must do' list: receive a summer blessing

One thing I do every year is go to a shrine to receive a summer blessing. There are many different ways to pray for a safe summer. It is a common practise, but what people pray for may differ between each individual. Personally, I pray that we all survive the summer heat!

Perhaps the best known method of praying for a safe summer is Nagoshi no Harae or Chinowa Kuguri. Each summer shrines around Japan put up a ring of Chigaya grass. You pass through the ring of grass in the shape of infinity before proceeding to the shrine to pray for a safe summer. This year, I did it in several different shrines in Saitama Prefecture. On one of those visits there was actually a volunteer in the precincts (pictured above) to show people the correct way to do it. And I realized I've been doing it wrong all these years! 

What I didn't know is that each time you come back to the center of the ring you are supposed to bow! You bow before you enter the ring. Thankfully I was doing the rest of it right! Like putting the left foot forward and going to the left of the ring first. When you come back to the center you bow again. Then you put your right foot forward and go to the right of the ring bowing once again when you come to the center. Next you pass to the left again, so you put your left foot forward and when you come back to the center bow again. Then you can proceed to the shrine.

The gentleman also confirmed to me that you don't pass through the ring on the way out. I never have, but I was never sure if that was correct or not. But he did tell me that some shrines do it differently and there maybe some shrines where you pass through the ring on the way out too. 

Some shrines only have their chigaya (ring of grass) up for a day or two. And most commonly its in the month of June. But there are places where the chigaya stays up for weeks. One such place is Kawagoe Kumano shrine, where they have 'natsumode' or 'summer prayers', for around eight weeks annually. This year the natsumode period is until mid August. Have you ever tried Nagoshi no Harae / Chinowa Kuguri?